Policy News and Information for South Carolina's Children
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Lawmakers Make Ban on Child Marriage a Priority
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The S.C. Legislature has moved quickly in the current session to outlaw child marriage.
S.196
, which eliminates all underage pregnancy-linked marriages, passed the full Senate. The companion bill,
H.3369
, passed out of the House Judiciary Committee and heads to that chamber’s floor. Both votes were unanimous.
For women, underage marriage correlates with higher lifetime rates of partner violence, divorce, poverty, and both physical and mental health challenges. An investigation highlighting the legality and prevalence of such marriages in South Carolina was published in the
Post and Courier
last summer.
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On the S.C. Legislative Radar
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Abuse and Neglect Definitions
S.79
proposes to narrow definitions of abuse and neglect so that parents wouldn’t be charged for abuse or neglect when children of sufficient age and maturity – those whose basic needs are met – engage in independent activities. Characterized as a “free range parenting” bill, it cites example "independent activities" to include: walking, running, bicycling to and from school or recreational facilities, engaging in outdoor play, remaining in a vehicle unattended, and remaining at home unattended.
A subcommittee of the Senate Judiciary Committee took up the bill, amending it to specify that a child must be 9 years or older to be left in a vehicle or remain home unattended. The bill was passed out to the full Judiciary Committee, which is likely to explore details further. A story in
The State
explained why this bill could change how parents raise their children in South Carolina.
DSS Agency Budget
The S.C. Department of Social Services (DSS) proposed agency budget for 2019-20 was presented to the House Ways and Means Health Care subcommittee. As was recommended in Gov. Henry McMaster's
executive budget
, DSS is seeking $44 million to fund requirements associated with the Michele H. Consent Agreement and the Child and Family Services Review; $2.6 million for Adult Protective Services caseload parity initiatives; $700,000 to provide additional resources to the Benefit Integrity Unit; and $28.6 million in one-time funds for the Child Support Enforcement System.
Be There
- Thursday, Feb. 7: Senate Family and Veterans' Services Child Welfare subcommittee, 10 a.m., Gressette Building, Room 307, on S.181 and S.191
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Bill Proposes State "Pay for Success" Fund
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Traditionally, public services are provided when legislative bodies appropriate tax money to pay for the operation of agencies, which implement programs on a year-by-year basis. In many cases, nonprofits or community-based organizations then receive contracts or grants to conduct the work. Lawmakers and agencies make adjustments, or change priorities, each subsequent year based on how the program is working and where it fits within their broader budget priorities.
Pay For Success is a different model, in which a third party (a philanthropy or financial institution) fronts the money for a long-term fixed contract. Multiyear goals are set, and the government commits to provide funding if and when the services delivered achieve agreed-upon results. Once outside evaluators determine outcomes have been reached, the third-party funder receives its principal investment as well as returns.
S.318
seeks to establish a new fund at the state level, administered by the state treasurer, which may be used by state entities entering into Pay for Success contracts. Nothing in current state law forbids agencies from entering into such contracts now, and passage of the bill would not require all future contracts be run through the proposed fund. The bill does not address specifics of conducting, or funding, program evaluations.
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Webinar Scheduled on Pay for Success
Home Visiting-Improvement Action Center Team
(HV-ImpACT) is hosting a
national webinar on social impact financing
, including Pay for Success models. Presenters include Eric Bellamy, the director of program integration at Children's Trust. He will discuss our state’s Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP) Pay for Success project. It provides nurses for 3,200 clients over the next six years to improve maternal and infant health and well-being through its evidence-based home visiting program. The webinar is scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 19, from 3 to 4 p.m.
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Children's Bureau Releases Maltreatment Report
The Children’s Bureau has released its
Child Maltreatment Report
, covering fiscal year 2017. The annual report consists of national data about child abuse and neglect known to child protective services agencies nationwide.
According to the report, there were 17,071 child victims in South Carolina in that year, an incidence of nearly 16 victims per 1,000 children in the state. Of the 13,000 perpetrators, nearly 11,000 were a parent to the victim. The number of victims (in cases known to protective services) in South Carolina has risen 64 percent from 2013 to 2017.
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Policy Post is published by Children's Trust of South Carolina.
Children’s Trust of South Carolina is the statewide organization focused on the prevention of child abuse and neglect. We provide funding, resources and training to help local program partners build strong families and positive childhoods. Children’s Trust leads the state’s coordinated efforts for the Strengthening Families Program; Triple P (Positive Parenting Program); S.C. Adverse Childhood Experiences Initiative; Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting; Child Abuse Prevention Month; Child Well-Being Coalition; and KIDS COUNT.
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